Link Established
by Minastara
Summary: The long awaited sequel to 'Link to Justice! The link has been established, but now a month later complications arise. OC/Superman, Same OC/J'onn, Same OC/Batman, Same OC/Flash.
1. Dreams and Complications

**Link Established**

**By Minstara**

—**8—**

Disclaimer: Justice League and other DC characters don't belong to me. The original characters such as Anyssa and the plot do belong to me so please ask before using.

Note: This is the sequel to my previous story 'A Link To Justice'. So, if you're just tuning in, you might want to read it first, or you might not know what's going on.

Special Thanks to everyone (you know who you are) for reviewing! Also thanks to everyone who read, but don't review!

Key:

"Hi" – Speech

"_*Hi*" - _Speech through Link

'_Hi'_ - Thoughts

Now, on with the story!

—**8—**

She could feel them.

Hands.

Hands of different sizes caressing her body as she lay there on the bed. She tried to see beyond the shadows to identify her companions, but was denied. All she knew for certain was that they were all men. She wondered who they were, how did they all get to this point? She knew she should be worried, but she just couldn't bring herself to be more concerned. As those fingers continued their effort, she let the rest of her worries slip into the fog. Some fingers moved down to her breasts, while others taunted and teased the edges of her center. Two of those fingers entered her and set a rhythm she was eager to emulate.

With each thrust, her body grew wetter, so wet in fact that she barely acknowledged the third finger's presence. "Faster," she pleaded, her voice sounding hoarse even to her ears, "I'm almost..." The fingers complied with her wish, drawing forth a slight moan from her. The other hands decided to join in the fun by pinching her hard nipples and laying feather touches along her inner thighs. The combination of those soft brushes and rough tweaks added to the sensations below pushed her closer to the edge. Her vaginal muscles tighten around those talented appendages and...

—**8—**

Anyssa shot up, her breath coming in fast, faint pants. She pressed her hand to her chest to try to calm her frantic breathing, only to realize that her pajama top was missing. She looked down, noting that it wasn't the only thing missing. She looked around her and there in the tangle of her sheets laid her pajama shorts along with her panties. She gazed around her room and spotted her top, thrown in front of the closet. Her body gave another shiver, though her lack of clothing had nothing to do with it. She felt between her thigh, only to have fingers come away wet. Sighing, she got up, grabbed her pajama top from the floor, tossed it onto the bed with her bottoms, pulled the sheets along with her pajamas from the bed and dumped them in the laundry basket. She grabbed a thin robe from the closet and went to the balcony.

Though summer had just began, the windy night air helped to cool her heated skin. Standing there on her apartment balcony, gazing at the lights of Metropolis, Anyssa felt the remnants of the dream drift from her mind. Unfortunately, she had bigger things to worry about. This was the fourth time this week she'd had that dream. Not a similar dream, but that exact same dream. The first time it had startled her so bad that she had just laid there in the dampness of her sheets. It had taken her a good five minutes to calm herself down. She hoped it would end that night. No such luck. With this latest viewing, there was no getting around it.

She was going to have to talk to the Justice League, more specifically to J'onn. Now, having any contact with the League wasn't something anybody would think about unless there was trouble, and until about a month ago she counted herself among them. That was until her not-so-extraordinary power was shocked into overdrive; psychically joining her mind to that of four members of the Justice League. Though how they made it through it was a story of its own, there was still a lot of mystery surrounding the bond. With these recurring dreams, Anyssa felt that another part of the mystery was slowly coming to light... and that terrified her. She had hoped that the bond wouldn't expand to this degree. Heck, she still hoped it hadn't, but a second opinion couldn't hurt.

"_*J'onn, are you there?*"_ she asked through their link. Even though it was late, Anyssa wasn't surprised by the quick _"*Yes.*"_ from the Martian. He never seemed to sleep, even though he swore to her that he did.

"_*Is there anything wrong? You're not usually up this late,*" _J'onn stated.

Anyssa quickly replied, _"*No, nothing's wrong. What time is it?*"_

"_*It is 2:53 a.m. in Metropolis.*"_

"_*Really? I didn't realize... I'm sorry for disturbing you so late.*"_

She could almost feel his head shake at her apology. _"*There is no need to apologize, gl'ae'da. I was merely sitting here watching the monitors with Hawkgirl.*"_ Anyssa couldn't help the grimace that she knew was on her face and was happy J'onn couldn't see it.

When she'd been introduced to the rest of the League, reactions were varied. John, the Green Lantern, had been rather indifferent, but polite, though Wally had said that they'd caught him in a good mood. Diana, Wonder Woman, had welcomed her with sisterly warmth. Shayera, Hawkgirl, was a different story. Shayera seemed to hate her from jump, which was something she did not hide very well. Wally tried to explain away Hawkgirl's behavior as it just being her way, but she wasn't convinced. So for the sake of peace, she stayed as far away as she could from the Thanagarian.

Alas, J'onn took her silence for what it was and tried to play mediator. _"*You should give Shayera another opportunity to get to know you. She isn't as bad as she seems.*"_

"_*I'm sure,*"_ she replied, dryly. When he received no further response, J'onn wisely decided to change the subject. _"*What was it you wanted to speak with me about?*"_

That one simple question jolted Anyssa back to what drove her to seek J'onn's counsel. "*_J'onn, something is going on. I've been having dreams. Dreams that are…*"_ she halted, embarrassment taking root.

"_*Are…?*"_ J'onn prompted.

"_*Very explicit; sexual in nature,*"_ she rushed out. She could almost see the Martian's brow rise. _"*And? From what I understand of humans, sexual dreams are very commonplace,*"_ J'onn answered.

She could feel herself squirm under J'onn strict logic. _"*They can be commonplace, but these dreams are different. They don't feel like they are just wet dreams. They feel like they are calling me or at least calling a part of me. Each night, each dream, takes me deeper. Tonight, I came out of _all_ my clothes without even waking up. I'm scared, J'onn,*"_ she elaborated. Scared was putting it mildly. She was terrified that this was exactly what it seemed.

She must have been projecting her conclusions too loudly because J'onn replied. _"*Expansion of the bond could be an explanation, but not the only one. Stress or lack of sleep could also cause this sense of distance. How long have the dreams been going on? Have you spoken to the others about them?*"_

"_*Four nights, and no. You're the first. Speaking of the others, are they up there with you?*"_ Anyssa asked.

Normally, she wasn't one to avoid an issue, but for just a little while… As a diversionary tactic, it was weak, but she hoped that J'onn let it slide. For a minute, she thought that he wasn't, then he said, _"*You tell me.*"_

The groan that emitted from her throat was one part relief, one part exasperation. For the past few weeks, J'onn has been instructing her in the use of her new mental abilities. Regrettably, he is a hard taskmaster and enjoys making her test those abilities, particularly to answer her own questions. Something that was more annoying than helpful, at times. Well, she asked for the distraction, she couldn't very well complain about it.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her task. Rather than concentrating on one connection as she was doing to communicate with J'onn, she broadened it to include all the connections. She opened her eyes to see four closed doors. Each door represented one of her bond mates. All the doors were a deep cherry wood. The only distinguishing feature between them was the emblems affixed to the center of each door.

The first door she decided to try had a jewel-shaped symbol, a diamond to be specific. The symbol was colored red and yellow with an _S_ within it. This door belonged to Superman, the Last Son of Krypton, also known as Clark Kent or Kal-El to those that knew him best. Anyssa twisted the doorknob to find that it was unlocked, which meant that Clark was awake. She peeked in and saw Clark sitting at his desk in his apartment; the bed behind him looking as if it hadn't been slept in. The strangest thing was watching words fly around the Kryptonian at such a rapid pace, and Clark not taking any notice. 'He's probably at home writing an article for the _Planet_,' she concluded. She quickly and quietly closed the door so as not to disturb him.

The second door had a circle-shaped emblem. The emblem was colored red and yellow, the same as the first; however, this insignia was red with a yellow lightning bolt within it. The door led to Flash, one of the fastest men on the planet, better known as Wally West to his friends. She turned the knob, expecting it to be locked since it was so late and, unless it was an emergency, Wally was rarely awake at this hour. The knob completed its turn and Anyssa glanced into the room. The only thing in the room was a bed and Wally laid atop it. The lighting in the room was dim and a dense mist covered the area, which meant only one thing. Wally was asleep and hadn't bothered to lock the door to his mind. She and J'onn had talked to him about it several times, but he always said it didn't matter. His logic was that since she and others were the only ones able to get in and since he 'didn't have anything to hide' there was no point in locking up. 'One of these days, I'm going to peek in and see something I don't want to see. If that happens, Wally won't hear the end of it from me,' she promised herself as she closed Wally's door behind her.

The third door bore a red, x-shaped crest. This door led to the Martian Manhunter, the last Martian, known simply as J'onn J'onzz. Since she knew where he was and particularly _who_ he was with, Anyssa skipped that door.

The last door bore a simple bat design. The design was colored a basic black. Anyssa turned the knob, half expecting to be locked even though she knew that its occupant was far from slumber. To her surprise, the door was unlocked. She glanced in was greeted by darkness, but considering the occupant it was to be expected. Not seeing the aforementioned occupant, Anyssa stepped further into the room. As she continued forward, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see a lone chair in front of a grey computer screen. The shriek of bats echoed around her.

"What are you doing here this late, Anyssa?" a voice close to her right ear questioned. Startled, she looked behind her to see no one there. Her gaze returned to the chair, which was no longer vacant. The man sitting in the chair wore dark slacks with a dark blue dress shirt, his fingers steepled. There were times when Anyssa still couldn't believe that the man in front of her was Batman, known to all of Gotham City as Bruce Wayne.

Anyssa put on an innocent smile and said, "Hi, Bruce. What are you up to?"

"Confirming information about a gun shipment coming into Gotham," he answered. Then he raised an eyebrow and not missing a beat, asked, "Well?"

She shrugged, and replied, "I couldn't sleep."

"Or rather her sleep was interrupted," a voice answered from behind Anyssa. She turned around to see J'onn materializing into the mindscape, something that wasn't supposed to happen.

Anyssa folded her arms over her chest and gave the Martian her best annoyed look. "You know I hate when you guys do that."

The 'that' was something Anyssa called keyriding. The best explanation was that their link worked as a hub, allowing the others to communicate with each other; however, those channels had to be open or unlocked for the communication to take place. Even if the channel was locked, unless the occupant didn't want to be disturbed, any of guys could get through by simply asking for permission, essentially knocking. Her access was slightly different. Since she basically _was_ the hub, she could open any of the channels, whether they were locked or not, akin to a skeleton key. Unfortunately, unless she locked the channel behind her, any of other guys could ride in after her. Hence, the term 'keyriding.'

Though it had the potential to be useful in emergencies, Anyssa hated it because it basically allowed the others to spy, taking away what little privacy they had. Once they had discovered that little quirk of their link and Anyssa's hatred of it, it became an unspoken agreement to not intrude, though she had caught Wally once (something that he became very repentant for once she was done with him). The fact that J'onn had done it meant that he was more concerned than he'd said.

"I am sorry, gl'ae'da, but I felt that this may need further discussion," J'onn explained, confirming her assumption.

"What is this really about, you two?" Bruce asked, his stance determined. All Anyssa could do was sigh. _'Well, there's no getting around it now,'_ she thought, as she explained her dreams to Bruce.

"And you say that these dreams have been going on for the past four days?" Bruce asked, hand to his chin. She nodded.

The following silence and the thoughtful expression Bruce wore brought a terrible sensation through Anyssa. "You think that it's happening, that the bond is expanding," she whispered. Her heart and head dropped. When the five of them agreed to this link, they all hoped that it would be strictly telepathic, but there was also the possibility of it becoming physical. After a month with no change, she had begun to hope that a strong telepathic bond was as far as the link would proceed. J'onn's reassurances had kept that small hope alive after the last dream, but now looking into the eyes of those serious faces… That hope died and fear was slowly starting to take its place. The link would have killed her if she hadn't finished establishing it. Now, if the link has progressed, she would have to follow through on it or she may end up taking four wonderful men with her. Still, Anyssa couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

Bruce shook his head. "We're not completely sure if it has or not. J'onn and I have been studying the link, gathering evidence toward its possible extent. Until now, we were only speculating; however, your dreams along with certain _scenarios_ J'onn and I have encountered point in that direction."

"Though, we need to confirm that the others are having similar experiences before making that conclusion," J'onn added. Anyssa didn't know what kind of expression she must have shown, but J'onn's red eyes soften. "Why don't we finish this tomorrow? When minds are calmer?"

"But—"

"I agree. Besides, don't you have an interview in the morning?" Bruce reminded.

'_Damn!'_ she thought. That had slipped her mind completely. Looking at the two men, she sighed. "Fine. We'll have a group meeting tomorrow evening. Let me know what time will be good for you, okay?" Bruce nodded in agreement. She turned, walking toward the darkness that was the entrance to Bruce's mind. She stopped, remembering something. She turned back, headed for the Martian Manhunter, and took his hand. "You two can gossip some other time," she said, pulling J'onn with her toward the darkness.

Once out of Bruce's mind, she bade good night to J'onn and broke the connection. Opening her eyes to the lights of Metropolis, she groaned. Things were coming to a head and as she walked back into her apartment, she wished that her luck would turn.

Unfortunately, for her, things were about to get worse.

**Chapter 1 End**

AN: I know it has been awhile. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Link Established! Please let me know what you think!


	2. A Reporter Gets An Exclusive

**Link Established **

**By Minstara**

—**8—**

Disclaimer: See the first chapter for the disclaimer.

Special Thanks to everyone (you know who you are) for reviewing! Also thanks to everyone who read, but don't review!

Key:

"Hi" – Speech

"_*Hi*" - _Speech through Link

'_Hi'_ - Thoughts

Now, on with the story!

—**8—**

**Chapter 2: A Reporter Gets An Exclusive**

—**8—**

'_Wednesdays are always slow news day,' _Clark thought as he walked out of Perry White's office. With no new assignments, he walked to his desk to follow-up on the stories he did have.

"Anything new, Smallville?" his partner, Lois Lane, asked. He just raised an eyebrow at that. Lois was renowned for her ability to sniff out a good story, even if she had to scoop her follow reporters (namely him) to get it.

"Nope, just working on a couple of small events. What about you? Anything interesting?" he asked.

Lois just smirked and said, "Nothing for you to worry about, Smallville." Usually, that was Lois-speak for 'I'm working on something big and you're not going to find out what until it hits the presses.' Well, most people wouldn't find out until it hit the presses, but ninety percent of the time, he knew exactly what the article was going to feature. That was because his alter ego was always the one to pull Lois's tail out of the fire.

'_I better keep an eye on her,'_ he thought. As Lois turned back to her computer, he smile and said, "Whatever you say, Lois. Good luck!"

She looked back up at him and said, "How many times do I have to tell you, Smallville? It's skill, not luck." He just shrugged and went back to his work.

—**8—**

Anyssa walked into her apartment, glad to be home. She was equally relieved the interview was over, especially after the restless night she had. She'd just tossed her suit jacket onto the couch and taken off her pumps when she heard her cell phone ringing. Digging it out of her purse, she smiled when she read the caller ID.

"Hi, Janie-girl!"

"_How was the interview?"_ Jane asked, going straight to the point, as usual.

Jane Collins is one of the few friends that she had. The very fact that they were friends was surprised given how different they were. Jane was a tall woman at 5'11 comparably to her own average height of 5'5. Their styles and personalities were often at odds. Jane's style was all flash and glam, while she liked the flash and glam just fine as long as it was _comfortable_. She'd never forget the time Jane had wore some Jimmy Choo's while acting as a brides-maid at a friend's wedding. She'd told Jane not to, but Jane said that 'if she couldn't out-dress the bride, she'd definitely have better shoes.' She had almost laughed herself sick listening to Jane say that she needed to chop her feet off to stop the pain.

With respect to personality, they couldn't be more dissimilar. She was one to keep to herself while Jane was a party girl, a social butterfly. Jane was also the one dragging her to the clubs to 'get out of the books and shake it like she meant it'. It was one of Jane's club-hopping expeditions that led her to current situation with the League and her employment. After spending five unexcused days in orbit with the League, her boss wasn't that forgiving. Jane, however, was all apologies and vowed never to bug her about clubbing again. As tempting as it was to accept Jane's promise, she told Jane not to worry about it and that she was looking forward to going back to Blaze since they didn't get a chance to go in the first time. Jane looked at her as if she was crazy for a moment, then shrugged and went on with the conversation. Their conversation continued, but since that day, Jane has always asked one question: What was the League like? She tried telling her that she didn't really get a chance to talk to them, but every time Jane would just look at her with that right eyebrow raised and moved on to the next topic. She knew Jane didn't believe her. Jane never pushed the issue after getting that same answer every time, and that is what made her Anyssa's best friend.

"Oh, it went okay. The guy seemed to really like my resume," she said as she worked her stockings from her legs.

"_Excellent, chica! To celebrate, let's go out to dinner at Pisca's tonight."_

"Umm, can you give me a rain-check on that? I've got a couple of things I have to handle this evening," she said, hoping Jane didn't ask for more details.

There was about 20 seconds of silence, during which she was sure that eyebrow was peaking, then Jane said, _"Sure. Anything I can help with?"_

"Nah, but thanks, Janie. Look, Janie, I'm gonna lay down for a little while. I'll call you later about that rain-check, okay?"

Something must have been in her voice because Jane asked, _"Are you sure everything's okay, Nyssa? You don't sound like yourself…"_ She tried her best to perk up before answering, "Yeah, just had a lousy night of sleep and I want to catch up on it before this evening."

The two said their goodbyes and she put her cell phone in her purse. She pulled her braids from the ponytail holder and ran her fingers through them. Shedding her suit, she pulled on a simple t-shirt. Sitting on the bed, she looked at the clock on her bedside table.

_12:09 P.M._

'_I'll be able to get a few hours of sleep before I have to meet the guys,' _she thought as she reached over and set the clock. She pulled the covers over herself. She laid her head on the pillow and was asleep within minutes.

—**8—**

_2:20 P.M._

"Hey, Smallville!" Clark looked up from his monitor at the sound of the nickname. Lois has been standing in front of his desk calling him for a while now. "Glad to see that I finally got your attention. What are you working on that's got you so enraptured?"

Kent looked a little confused, but whether it was her question or something else, she couldn't say. "It's just a piece about the local kennel club's dog show," he explained.

"Must be some dogs," she said, derisively. "Anyway, I'm going to Maniette's for a sandwich. You want anything?"

"Sure. Get me—" The phone rang. "Kent." She leaned against Kent's desk, tapping her foot against the floor, impatiently waiting for the call to end. "Yes. Send her up."

After hanging up the phone, Kent just sat there, looking as confused as when she asked about his article. "Visitor, Kent?" That seemed to snap Clark out of his daze.

"Um, yeah, but I have no idea what she's doing here." He got up from his desk and started walking toward the elevators. Curious, she decided to tag along. They were almost to the elevators when their doors opened.

There was only one person in it. A woman. She was young, probably about early twenties. Her dark hair was braid and pulled up into a ponytail at the crown of her head. She wore a blue short-sleeve tee, which went well with her milk chocolate complexion that just barely covered her bellybutton, and low-rise Capri jeans. She may have been Lois's height, but it was hard to tell with the high-heeled, open-toe sandals the woman wore. _'She's got nice taste. She also looks real familiar...'_ she noted to herself.

The woman stepped off the elevator smiling, eyes only for Smallville. "Clark!" she said as she hugged him. "Nyssa, what are you doing here? I thought that we were going to meet up later," Clark asked after returning the embrace.

"Well, I thought that if you haven't eaten yet, we could have a late lunch..." 'Nyssa' finally seemed to notice Lois as her eyes shifted to her. "You're welcome to join us..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Anyssa, this is my partner Lois Lane. Lois, this is my friend Anyssa Jordan," Clark introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lois. It's nice to finally have a face to go with all the stories that Clark has told me about..." The rest of what Anyssa was saying was lost as the name clicked in her mind. She was pretty sure her guess was right on the money, but she had to know for sure.

"Jordan... Aren't you the lady the League helped a month ago?" she asked, interrupting Anyssa. She barely heard Anyssa say 'yes', before turning to Clark and said, "Hey, Kent, why didn't you tell me that you knew her? Perry was willing to sell his soul and ours for an exclusive with her."

"Well—"

"I asked him not to," Anyssa interrupted. "I wanted a little peace after getting attacked like that. He was just looking out for me."

Anyssa's stance told Lois a lot. Like she was ready to argue the point further if Lois pushed it. Deciding to remain on friendly terms for now, she said, "Yeah, that sounds like Smallville. Loyal to a fault." Her words seemed to ease the woman as she gave a small nod.

"Too true. Clark, if we're going to lunch we'd better get going," Anyssa stated.

"Um, sure," he agreed.

"Oh, Lois, you never did answer my invitation earlier. Did you want to join us?" Anyssa asked.

Though the question was put forth with the kindest of smiles, something in the woman's eyes sent shiver through her. "No, thanks. I'm not really that hungry."

Clark stared at her, more than a little confused. "But weren't you about to—"

"Perhaps another time. See ya later, Smallville, Anyssa," she said, cutting Clark off. With that, she turned and walked back to her desk. Once at her desk, she opened that drawer that she used to store the take-out menus for the places around the Planet. She had just decided on the place when Jimmy came up to her desk, more than likely coming back from dropping off his photos. "Hey, Jimmy. Want something from 'The Gold Dragon'?"

"Sure, Ms. Lane. I'll take some shrimp-fried rice." He looked to the neighboring desk. "Where's Mr. Kent?"

"A friend of his came by to surprise him with a late lunch," Lois explained.

"Well, that was nice of them."

"Yeah…" she agreed as she picked up the phone, but inside she was remembering those eyes. Those eyes belonged to a woman who had found what she wanted and wasn't going to let anyone or anything stop her from obtaining it. Now, she wasn't one to bow to intimidation, her various encounters with Lex Luthor evidence of such, but this was one time it was probably best not to go traipsing into dangerous waters.

'_Now, if it were Superman, yeah, but not Smallville. I wonder if he has any idea what he's in for...' _She thought it over for a few seconds, shook her head. _'Probably not.'_

—**8—**

"Can we make a stop by my apartment first? There's something that I want to show you," Anyssa asked, still holding tight to his arm as they exited the 'Daily Planet'.

"Can't it wait until this evening? Besides, I thought this was just a quick lunch," he said, looking down at his companion to see her shake her head.

"Sorry, it can't wait, but I can promise that once you see it we'll be on our way," she responded, smiling up at him.

"All right," he acquiesced. The walk to Anyssa's apartment building was short one, especially since it was only three blocks from the 'Planet'. A fact that was both convenient and odd when he found out. Convenient because if something went wrong Clark would be close enough to help. It was odd for the same reason. After all, out of all the people in Metropolis, the one person linked to him lived close to the 'Planet', close to him.

When they entered Anyssa's apartment, she put her purse down on the table by the door and made her way toward her bedroom. "Have a seat on the couch, Clark. I'll be right back."

Before he could say anything, she was already gone, so he went on and sat down. He grabbed one of the magazines off the table, flipped through it for a couple of seconds, and tossed it back onto the table. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the couch, arm resting over his eyes. Something wasn't right. This whole thing with Anyssa surprising him at work wasn't like her at all. In fact, since her 'return' she'd tried her best distance herself from their alternate egos. It was, according to her, to avoid drawing undue attention on their 'normal' lives. So for her to show up at the 'Planet' without it being some type of emergency... Something was definitely off, and perhaps it was just his reporter's curiosity, but he intended to find out what it was.

Since talking to her was unlikely to yield any results, he decided to take an alternate route. Breathing slowly, he opened the door to his link with Anyssa. Following the connection back to its source, he encountered a locked door. The door had no special symbols or anything similar to the doors of his fellow League members, the only thing different about it was that it was painted Anyssa's favorite color: dark green. The reality that the door was locked wasn't unanticipated; in fact he expected it, since Anyssa seemed to want to surprise him. He hoped that could catch a glimmer of what was going on in her mind.

The only thing he could feel was heat radiating from the door, not unlike a fever, and that was definitely not normal. _'I better talk to J'onn. He'll probably have a better idea on what the heck is going on with her,' _Clark thought as an uneasy feeling started to settle in his stomach. He was about to call out to J'onn when he heard Anyssa.

"Wake up, Clark. Your surprise is waiting," she said, her voice teasing. Not wanting to draw her attention to his investigation, he returned to his side of the link. He moved his arm and opened his eyes to see a vision standing before him.

Anyssa was dressed in a lacy, red baby-doll lingerie. The garment lacked a neckline, which helped to show off her ample cleavage. The lace design of the bodice enticed the eye as it both had and revealed the lovely caramel skin beneath it. He eyes traveled upward, taking in the sight of her. Her dark braids, loose and free, fell over her shoulders close to her breast. Smile confident, her eyes sultry, she asked, "Do you like what you see, Clark?"

Her voice snapped him out of the lust-filled haze. "Anyssa, what in the—" he started, only to have his words stymied by lips pressed firmly to his own and a weight settling on his lap. At first, all he could do was react to those warm lips eagerly moving against his own. How long they continued like that, he didn't know, but his senses soon came back to him. He tried to lean back, away from her, to have her follow his motion reclaiming his lips and securing her hold by locking her arms behind his neck.

Unwilling to possibly hurt her in an attempt to pull away, he resorted to the only method of communication left to him. _"*Anyssa! What are you doing?*"_

"_*Don't you mean what are _we_ doing?*"_ she asked, teasingly.

"_*Let me up,*"_ he demanded. He felt her laughter against his lips as well as though their link.

"_*Why? It's not like you hate this,*"_ she commented as she pressed herself further into his lap. _"*Besides, we've dreamt of this for a long time, Clark. I know you want this to happen, so why do you want to stop?*"_ she asked.

"_*Because...*"_ He stopped because he didn't know what to say. Since she was pressed against the evidence of his wants, he couldn't deny that he wanted her. She was right about something else too. He had dreamt of her. They all started the same with kisses and caresses; however, as the dreams progressed, so did their intensity. He and Anyssa were never alone in the dreams, but he never seemed to care about that fact. In fact, in each, he'd taken up a different position surrounding Anyssa. He never saw the faces of the others with him surrounding her, only caring about what he was doing to her.

In one dream, he was just kissing her as the others embraced and stroked her. In another dream, he was massaging her breasts, enjoying the sounds she made as he did so. He handled those dreams well, especially given his minute roles in them. That all changed four nights ago. He and Anyssa were center stage and they had the greatest sex he'd ever had, in either real life or dream. The following morning he vowed not to sleep until he could talk to J'onn.

It was a vow he kept. When Bruce called that morning about the meeting, he was relieved. He hadn't had a chance to talk to J'onn and this was going to give him the perfect opportunity. Finally, the dreams would stop.

Unfortunately, he must have been broadcasting those thoughts because Anyssa responded to them. _"*We don't have to stop. We both want this. Have wanted it for a long time. Don't deny us this, Clark. Please...*"_ He lips left his, leaving a trail of kisses down toward his neck. All he could do was breathe. Breathe through the daze that seemed to spread with every brush of her lips. _"*Please...*"_ her voice pleaded with him.

Her plea tore something in him. Something that was tired of fighting, tired of giving up on the things he wanted because it was the 'right thing to do.' Something that only wanted to say...

"Yes," he moaned aloud as well as through the bond, finally taking what was freely offered.

—**8—**

*Beep-Beep, Beep-Beep*

Anyssa groaned as the sound of an alarm clock interrupted her slumber. Eyes still closed, she reached out toward the direction of the clock only to have her hand glance something or rather somebody. Her eyes snapped open. In the bed beside her laid another body, an obviously _male_ body. She quickly pulled her hand back and tried to take stock of her surroundings. _'Okay, I'm in my apartment, in my bed. And naked,'_ she thought, her heart racing. Then, the panic began to set in. What had happened? The last thing she truly remembered was going to sleep after her interview that morning. She tried to recall anything that may have led to this, but it was blur. _'Did this man break in and...?'_ Her stomach rolled at that possibility. She had to get out of here and call the cops.

She started slowly easing out of her bed, careful not to disturb her 'guest'. She'd almost made it off the bed when the man next to her shifted. She halted, hoping that her actions haven't woken him. When she felt no further movements, she took a chance, looked back and forgot how to breathe.

'_Clark?'_

As if his name were the trigger, she suddenly saw herself in Clark's lap wearing some red lingerie and kissing him for all she's worth. As quickly as the flash had come, it was gone. A mix of horror and excitement rushed through her. _'What the hell was that?'_ she thought as she finished easing herself out of the bed. Not knowing what to do and definitely not ready to try to figure it out now, she went to her dresser, grabbed a short sleeves shirt and a pair of jeans, and rushed to the bathroom. She needed to get her thoughts together and a bath was exactly what the doctor ordered.

After locking the door and starting the water, she took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, which really didn't help much. Trying to stave off any stray thoughts of what happened in the other room, she set about her normal bath routine of adding bath salts to her water, getting her towels together and pulling her braids up. Once done, she cut the water off and slowly immersed herself into it.

With the warm water settling over her, she finally allowed herself to focus on what must have happened in her bedroom. She decided to backtrack from the moment she got home. Up until the moment she went to sleep, everything seemed fine. Afterward, the memories weren't so clear. All she got were flashes, memory fragments, with her showering, putting on some clothes, and entering the Daily Planet. None of what she saw explained why she'd gone to the Planet or even why she and Clark came back to her apartment. None of it made any sense, and what she saw next only added to the mystery.

She observed herself modeling a little red lingerie number she'd seen earlier, but had no idea where it came from, in front of a mirror. She watched herself look toward the living room and say, "Clark is going to love this." Watching that predatory smile spread across her face was an eerie experience, to say the least. An experience pushed from eerie to creepy when 'she' looked back at her reflection, leaned in, and say, "Don't worry so much, darling. You're going to have so much fun." From that point forward, the coherency of the memory remnants became almost non-existent. Though from the position she awoke in, it wasn't hard to figure out the rest.

She opened up the bond between her and Clark, hoping to get a sense of how felt about the encounter. Strangely, the emotion closest to the surface was contentment. Strange because content was the last thing she would use to describe what she saw in those broken memory flashes. Regrettably, the mystery of her Swiss-cheesed memory would have to wait. The immediate problem was considerably more troublesome.

How was she going to tell Clark? For the first time in years, at least from what he'd told her, Clark had let his guard down, allowed himself to get close to someone; to trust someone... and he'd done it with a complete stranger. This is going to kill him.

She was still contemplating what to tell Clark when a loud _"*Anyssa!*"_ came across the bond. The call jolted her back into the present. The water had gone cold while she sat there.

Ignoring it for now, she responded, _"*Yes, Wally?*"_ She could hear the sigh through the link. _"*Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay? J'onn and I have been trying to call you for the last fifteen minutes. Bats is about half way to your apartment,*"_ he said.

"_*Why?*"_ she asked.

"_*Have you heard from Sups? We've been trying to reach him for the last couple of hours. The signal from his communicator has him at the Planet, but he isn't answering. We tried to reach him telepathically, but none of us could get through. We kept hitting some type of barrier. Then, I thought that you could give it a try since you're connected directly to us, but got the same thing from you. I really did know what to do then-*"_

"_*Wally!*"_ she exclaimed, stopping his rambling. Their sudden 'disappearance' must have shaken him for him to babble on so. _"*Clark is here with me. We're at my apartment.*"_

"_*Yeah, J'onn just got through to him. He's filling Sups in,*"_ Wally replied. She could feel his panic start to recede as he talked.

"_*I'm glad to hear that, but how you fill _me_ in? Why were you guys looking for Clark?*"_ she asked as she was getting out of the tub.

There was silence across the link and for a moment, she thought she wasn't going to get an answer. The he said, _"*Diana was attacked, Nyssa.*"_

A League member being attacked wasn't anything unusual; after all, they were superheroes, but there was something in his voice that put butterflies in her stomach. _"*Is she okay?*"_

"_*She's alive,*"_ he said, but it was what he wasn't saying, what was coming across the bond that mattered. Wally was scared.

"_*How bad is she, Wally?*"_ she asked, already putting on her clothes.

"_*She's pretty bad, Nyssa. She hasn't started healing from her wounds,*"_ he explained. _'Then, it's serious...'_ she thought to herself.

J'onn told her once that the Amazonian magic that gave Diana her abilities healed most of her injuries before they ever got back to the Watchtower. Wally had jokingly said that she was one of J'onn's best patients because he never saw her. She expanded her conversation link, pulling another of her bondmates in. _"*Bruce, how far are you from my apartment?*"_

"_*About five minutes,*"_ Bruce responded.

"_*Um, it's probably not a good idea for you to come right now, Nyssa,*"_ Wally said, his tone anxious.

"_*Why not?*"_ she questioned as she exited the bathroom, completely clothe. Clark stood in front of the door to her balcony. He'd donned his costume and it seemed that he was ready to leave. On her first step out of the bathroom, he turned toward her.

"Anyssa, Diana—" he started. She held up one finger for him to wait, interrupting him. At his confused expression, she pointed to her temple and mouthed, 'Wally.' The confusion left as he realized what she was doing; he nodded agreeing to wait.

Smiling her thanks, she repeated her question. _"*Why shouldn't I come up there, Wally?*"_ her voice gone cold as she steeled herself for an answer she knew she wasn't going to like.

"_*Well, Hawkgirl has been pitching a flying fit since she and Lantern brought Diana back to the Watchtower. She was wondering where Sups has been since he wasn't answering his comm...*"_

"_*And now she knows,*"_ she finished for him.

"_*Yeah. She's at the boiling point and seeing you now, Nyssa, may tip her over it. We don't need that right now,*"_ Wally explained.

"_*Wally, I understand what you mean. I really do, but Diana may be dying, so I don't give a damn about Shayera's ruffled feathers. I'll see you on the roof, Bruce,*"_ she said, cutting the connection before Wally could respond. She brought her attention back to Clark and said, "Bruce is picking me up. Go on ahead. We'll meet up at the Watchtower."

She knew the smile going across her face wasn't true, but she hoped Clark wouldn't notice. It seemed to work as he nodded his assent. He then reached out for her, pulling her into an embrace. "Diana's a fighter. She _will_ be okay," he whispered into her hair. Whether he was trying to convince her or himself, she didn't know and she couldn't bring herself to call him on it because she hoped that he was right.

With nothing else to say, Clark let himself out via her balcony moving faster than the eye could see. She grabbed her cell and her keys, closed the door to her apartment, and made her way to the building's roof. Bruce was waiting for her. She quickly boarded the Javelin and took her seat next to the dark knight.

"He is right. This isn't a good idea," he commented as the plane rose from the roof. For a moment, she didn't know what he was referring to, then it clicked that Bruce was talking about what Flash said earlier.

"I don't care. Diana's my friend and I'm going to be there for her," she stated calmly. "Why are you taking me if this is such a bad idea?"

"You're an adult." The silence dragged on, their conversation dead. "Why was Kent with you?" Maybe not. "Unless something required his better half, he should have still been at the _'Planet'_," he deduced, all the while never looking away from the cockpit window. When she didn't answer, he continued, "Hawkgirl is not going to let this go. She is going to ask that same question. If this is how you plan to respond, then you're going to set fire to a volatile situation."

She'd had enough. "Why Clark was with me is none of her business! Where are you going with this, Bruce?" She had no idea what Bruce was trying to say, but she really wished that he would spell it out for her.

She got what she asked for when he explained. "That's just it! Whatever happened between you and Kent is not just between you anymore, Anyssa. Diana was attacked in _Metropolis_, almost killed, and Kent didn't respond to _any_ calls for help and we don't know why."

His words felt like a ton of lead on her chest. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. This was all her fault. Whatever she'd done to Clark had effectively cut him off from the League, from their bondmates, and because of that, Diana might die. No matter what she said to calm Shayera's ire, there was still one undeniable truth.

This happened because of her!

—**8—**

The flight to the Watchtower was quiet, though given her company it wasn't surprising; however, the quiet did nothing to calm her wandering mind. It wasn't just the big issue of her or rather her mysterious guest in the mirror having sex with Clark plaguing her mind. Why couldn't any of her bondmates reach her or Clark? Was it her or did her mystery guest block their attempts?

Unfortunately, answers were not too forthcoming.

A touch on her shoulder broke her reverie. She removed her seatbelt and followed Bruce off the plane. She and her companion were silent as they exited the hanger, which was fine with her since she didn't want to argue anymore. Besides, Bruce was right. Shayera was going to demand answers and Anyssa didn't know how she would answer; however, that was a bridge that she'll either cross or burn when it happened. Now, she has decided to focus entirely on Diana.

Walking into the meeting room, which had apparently become the impromptu waiting room, she wasn't surprised by the scene. Shayera and John were standing by the window looking out at the Earth below. Neither one seemed to notice Bruce and her enter the room. Clark was leaning against the wall by the left corner of the room, arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. His face revealed nothing of how he was feeling, but the bond sung to her of his worry. Wally sat in one of the chairs surrounding the table in the center of the room. She sat in the chair beside him. He gave her a weak smile in greeting, and then went back to staring at his hands laying flat on the table. He just sat there quietly, not tapping his feet a mile a second or rambling as he was wont to do when he had to wait.

"How is Diana?" she asked, reaching for his hand and interlacing his fingers with her own.

"Pretty much the same. J'onn has been giving updates when he can." He gave her that same tired smile. "I'm glad you're here, in case..." That smile faded.

"Don't even think it!" she gently admonished. "Diana doesn't need those kind of thoughts now. She's gonna to be fine." He gave her that smile again and nodded. She opened a narrow hole in the shields around her bond to him. It seemed that her words did little to calm the massive amount of fear dominating his emotions; emotions that only new of Diana could soothe. As they sat together awaiting news, she prayed for Diana and prayed that she had not lied to Wally.

The time spent waiting was one of the hardest times of her life. Every minute that went by was another knot in her stomach. From the buzzing of emotion against her barriers, her fellow occupants were feeling the tension as well. _'I can't stand it!'_ she thought as she looked toward the door. She got up and started for the door. _'I need to find out something!'_ She opened the door only to find J'onn standing on the other side, as if magically summoned. The wind behind her told her that Wally had joined her in the entryway. The rest soon gathered behind them.

"How is Diana, J'onn?" Wally asked, his words coming out so fast she barely caught them.

"She's resting now. Her wounds have started to heal, so I think she's going to make a full recovery," J'onn explained, giving everyone a soft smile. All around her sighs of relief, including her own, were released with even a resounding 'Woo-hoo!' from the speedster beside her.

She went back to the table, sat down, laid her arms on the table, and laid her head onto her arms. She then left out another sigh of relief along with a few tears. _'Thank God...'_ She was happy that she had not lied to Wally, and that her actions, not matter how uncontrollable, had not killed her friend.

She sat up in the chair and quickly wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks and around her eyes. That is when she felt it, the weight of a gaze on her back. With that knowledge, came the pressure of something else. It was anger; so much anger that it was difficult to imagine it all coming from one individual. Regrettably, it was coming from one person and she knew exactly from whom this oppressive force was originating.

Steeling herself, she looked over her shoulder and was not surprised at who was scrutinizing her. "You have something on your mind, Shayera?" she asked.

The room went quiet, the inhabitants anticipating an explosion. Shayera did not disappoint.

"You damn right I do. How did this happen?" Shayera whirled behind her and approached Clark. "Where the hell were you when Diana needed?" She felt herself flinch and saw Clark do the same.

"That's not fair, Hawkgirl. None of us were able to get to Diana in time," Wally tried to reason with Shayera, but the Thanagarian was not to be deterred.

Completely ignoring Wally's peacekeeping attempt, Shayera's eyes never wavered from Clark's and asked, _"Where?"_

"I was with Anyssa and I must have left my comm behind." The ease with which Clark said those words stunned her. Did he not realize the powder keg he had ignited? His gaze shifted to her. _"*Sorry...*"_ came across the bond from him, so apparently he did know.

"You were in Metropolis. So, what? Diana's screams of pain weren't loud enough for you to come running?" Shayera sneered.

"Hawkgirl, that is unnecessary. This was nothing more than an accident," J'onn said.

"That's the point, J'onn. This accident should not have happened. Normally, Superman can hear practically anything going on in Metropolis, so I want to know what was going on with Anyssa that he couldn't respond to his teammate's cries!" Shayera demanded.

Clark crossed his arms over his chest, a clearly defensive move, and said, "That is none of your business, Hawkgirl." She could feel herself winch. _'Oh, yeah. We definitely don't have anything to hide.'_

Hawkgirl continued glaring at Clark, and then turned that hard stare her way. For a few seconds, Shayera looked back and forth between her and Clark, then finally settling back on her. She is not sure what she saw in their faces or bodily movements, but those cold eyes widened in shock. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

"Now, Shayera, hang on—" she started.

"Be quiet!" Shayera commanded and whirled back on Clark. "You mean that Diana almost died because you wanted a nooner with your pet slut!" Shayera shouted.

As the room gasped their shock at Shayera's revelation, only one thing was going through her min.

_'I know this bitch did not...'_ The next thing she felt was her right fist connecting with the left side of Shayera's face. She was shocked that the punch actually hurt the Thanagarian. Not only hurt her, but sent her flying through the wall next to the door. _'What the—'_ A searing pain ran through her hand and arm, dropping her to her knees. She heard a roar coming from above her. She looked up to see Shayera, mace raised to strike her down.

That was the last thing she saw.

End of Chapter 2

—**8— **

Wow! I wonder what's going to happen next? I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm so sorry for the long wait (over a year!). Last year was pretty busy and I didn't have a lot of time to work on this. That and I had a little writer's block on how to get to that last screen without anyone sounding too OOC.

I also want to thank everyone for your reviews, they are what kept me writing this.

Minastara


	3. Actions and Apologies

**Lin****k Established**

By Minastara

**~8~**

Disclaimer: See the first chapter for the disclaimer.

Special Thanks to everyone (you know who you are) for reviewing! Also thanks to everyone who read, but didn't review!

Key:

"Hi" - Speech

"_*Hi*"_ - Speech through Link

_'Hi'_ - Thoughts

Now, on with the story!

**~8~**

**Chapter 3: Actions and Apologies**

"_**Would 'sorry' have made any difference? Does it ever? It's just a word. One word against a thousand actions." ― Sarah Ockler, Bittersweet**_

**~8~**

Everything happened so fast, and for Wally, that is saying something. One second he is flying high, glad that Diana was going to be okay, the next second Shayera's doing some flying of her own through a wall.

"Oh, crap!" he exclaims. He goes to the door to see if Shayera is okay. He opens it and barely manages to get out of the way of Shayera barreling past him, mace held high.

"Hawkgirl, no!" he heard GL call, which Hawkgirl ignored. She raised her mace to strike just as Anyssa appeared to lose consciousness. Wally's feet moved before his mind could process the thought. From one second to the next, he was cradling Anyssa in his arms back near the door, far from Hawkgirl's mace. He jumped when he noticed Batman beside them. "Flash, lay her down," he instructed. He did as he was told. While Bats checked Anyssa over, he turned back toward the brouhaha.

Hawkgirl was struggling against J'onn, her wings bound to her by his body being wrapped around hers. Sups was trying to pry the nth metal weapon from Hawkgirl's steely grip. GL was smack-dab in the middle. Wally couldn't tell whose side GL was on, but he figured that Sups and J'onn could handle it and wouldn't actually hurt Shayera.

Turning back to pair on the floor beside him, he whispers to the man next to him, "How is she, Bruce?" Those cowled eyes stared at him, hard. Wally could feel himself start to squirm. The five of them had only known each other's real identities for a short time; though _some _have known a lot longer, they had agreed that they shouldn't get into the habit of calling each other by them while in costume. The use of said secret identity certainly did not make for a happy Batman. Wally met that glare with one of his own. Whatever Bruce saw, he must have decided to let it go for the moment because Bruce said, "Let's get her to Medical. I need to do some scans."

"Sure..." Wally watched as Bruce removed his cape and quickly tied Anyssa's right arm close to her chest, effectively immobilizing it. _'He probably thinks she broke her arm sending Hawkgirl through the wall.'_ he thought as Bruce lifted Anyssa into his arms. Deciding that Bruce was all right with Anyssa, Wally ran ahead to Medical to prep the scanners and bed. Bruce came in a couple of minutes after him. As Bruce laid her down and began his scans, Wally found his attention drawn to the room's other occupant.

J'onn was right. She did look better. The bruises on her face had begun to fade, black becoming dull green. The skin around the burns running down her arms and on her chest was reclaiming its territory. Soon, the scorched flesh would give way to flawless sun-kissed skin. It wasn't the wounds he could see, but the one that remained unseen that had nearly killed the Amazon. The skull fractures weren't surprising given the blows she must have taken from her assailants. Three of her ribs were cracked, one broken; its edge coming close to puncturing her lung. It was a miracle Diana survived it and Wally was thankful for it.

"How did this happen?" he asked, more to himself than Bruce, so he was a little surprised when his team-mate responded.

"You're going to have to be more specific. The last twenty-four hours have been busy," Bruce said, never looking up from the hand-held scanner.

"If you have any ideas about any of it, I would love to hear them," Wally admitted.

"The Link has progressed," the Dark Knight of Gotham revealed.

"What?!" The shock turned the exclamation into high pitched squawk. Wally cleared his throat and said again, more calmly, "What? How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but there is evidence that supports that theory. Anyssa has been having some very vivid, recurring dreams the past few days. J'onn informed me that he has also had some equally vivid dreams about Anyssa." Bruce shifted his gaze from the scanner to Wally, and continued, "I suspect that you and Kent have experienced similar dreams as well."

Wally couldn't stop the flush of red that he knew was blossoming across his cheeks as he remembered the dream from the previous night. _'Yeah, that was pretty intense,'_ he thought. Shaking his head to clear those images from his mind, Wally asked probably the most dangerous question of them all. "What about you? Have you been getting some _vivid_ dreams?"

A hard, not to mention scary, stare from Bruce was all the answer Wally needed.

"Without speaking with either Anyssa or Kent, I can only guess that the Link overwhelmed her and Kent was the closest of us," Bruce concluded.

"And Diana?" Wally asked.

"An unfortunate coincidence," Bruce replied. Wally just stared. It was times like this Wally wondered how this man can be so cold and logical; especially when it wasn't strangers or even criminals he was analyzing, but his teammates and friends. How can he just turn off those emotions? The only answer that came to Wally at those times was that to be Batman, he had to.

"I wouldn't call it that," a voice whispered from the bed between them. Wally looked down to see Anyssa open her eyes. Bruce pulled the scanner back. "There doesn't seem to be any broken bones. Do you think you can sit up?" Bruce asked.

She gave a slow nod. She began using her left arm to get her upper body in an upright position. She was half-way there when she shifted pressure to her right hand to start pushing herself forward. She cringed at the added weight and her arm just buckled underneath her. Wally managed to catch her before she would have toppled off of the bed and onto the floor. He steadied her and helped her finish sitting up. She gave him a small smile that tugged at something within him. "Thanks."

"No prob. Not the first time a lady has fallen for me," Wally flirted, hoping to lighten the mood a little. He managed to get a chuckle at that.

"Oh, I'm sure of that," she retorted. Something about that rejoinder, or perhaps in her voice, raised goose bumps across his skin and sent a jolt to other places. In fact, it reminded him of — _'No! No time for that right now,'_ Wally mentally rebuked himself. She seemed to sense Willy's preoccupation and shifted her focus to Bruce. "Is Shayera okay? The last thing I remember was knocking her through a wall..." Her face frowned up as she considered the absurdity of what she was saying. "Wait a sec. Did I really do that? How did I do that? I shouldn't be able to _do_ that!" she exclaimed, the questions continued flying out as the panic set in.

"Anyssa, stop," Bruce commanded. Once she stopped speaking, he instructed her to take a few breaths to calm herself. After she did what he said, he continued, "Hawkgirl is fine. She even tried to kill you after you punched her through the wall. Yes, you did punch her through a wall. As for the how, I'm not sure. Now, the scans I took of your arm doesn't show any bone damage. I want to make sure that you don't have any nerve damage. Can you touch your fingers to your thumb?" Wally watched as Anyssa did as instructed, albeit with a few winces. "Good."

As Bruce had Anyssa work his other tests, silence reigned and in that silence Wally's frustration grew. "Is it true?" he asked, the words coming out of his mouth before he realized it.

She averted her eyes from his stare. "So, Hawkgirl was right-" Wally started.

"That harpy doesn't have any idea what she's talking about!" she exclaimed. Wally could see the fire of anger in her eyes. There wasn't any sign of the guilt from a few moments ago. Her eyes widened after a moment, looking shocked by what she had just said. She quickly averted her gaze from him, focusing on what Bruce was doing with her right arm.

Though he and the others had only known her for a month, Wally had never seen her like this; her emotions jumping from calm to erratic. He tried to reach out to her through their connection and found her side locked down, which was surprising since she has never done that before. A slight movement drew his eyes to sheets. Her left fist was clenching the sheets so tightly that her skin had paled from her normal caramel to a milk chocolate. _'She's just as freaked out as the rest of us,'_ he realized. He moved closer to the bed and laid his right hand atop her tight fist. She startled, turning to look down at their hands, then at him. He eased her grip from the sheets, his hand taking their place. At first, her grasp was weak, unsure; but as he continued to hold her hand, he felt her grip strengthen becoming confident.

Wally didn't know how long he stood there with her, but once he was confident that she was grounded he spoke. "I'm going to get J'onn and Sups. I'm sure that we, together, will be able to figure this out. Okay?"

He waited for an agreement from her. Once given, he sent a quick thought to Bruce and sped from the room.

Wally arrived back in the conference room and it seemed that the situation was a much calmer one than the one he and Batman had left. Sups was busy patching the hole made by Anyssa and Hawkgirl with a steel plate and his heat vision. As he passed, Wally couldn't help noticing Hawkgirl's mace hanging from Superman's right arm. Hawkgirl was seated in one of the chairs that surrounded the conference table. J'onn was kneeling in front of her, checking her face. GL stood beside the Martian, not looking happy at all.

"Well, I'm glad World War III had a peaceful resolution," Wally quips as he walks toward J'onn and Hawkgirl. He crouched down and looks over Hawkgirl's face. Her left cheek was already coloring up into a handsome bruise. There were some scratches and scrapes on the right side of her face and her forehead. _'For someone who went head first into a steel wall, she doesn't look too bad,' _Wally thought. "Is she okay, J'onn?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I've had worst," she replied, her voice gruff, evidently still pissed off.

"Oh, okay, sure. J'onn?" he asked, basically ignoring Hawkgirl's self-diagnosis.

"She is fine. Her helmet took the brunt of the hit and she does not seem to have more than some bruising and scratches. A minor miracle considering," J'onn exclaimed.

"Yeah..." Wally agreed, relieved. _"*Guys, Anyssa's awake and freaking out. I told her that I'd get you two and we can all discuss what happened. Are you guys good to do that now?*" _he asked his bond mates.

"_*Yes.*" _echoed the two men.

J'onn left first, citing the need to check on Diana. Superman finished the patch job and tossed the nth metal mace to GL. "Don't give it back to her until Anyssa leaves the Watchtower," Superman commanded, his tone leaving no room for discussion. When GL nodded his acceptance of the order, Superman left the room with nary a glance or word to the Thanagarian.

Wally, still on his knees, gave the woman a quick hug and said, "I'm glad you're okay, Sha." Getting no response, Wally got up from the floor and headed for the door.

"She's nothing, but trouble," he heard her call out just before he was about to walk through the door.

"What?"

"I wasn't sure at first…" she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I thought it was best to keep my distance, wait for her to show her true colors. After a month of watching her, I thought my instincts were wrong, that she was just another innocent in this, but then all of this starts to happen and she is right in the middle of it!"

"She's just as confused by what happened as the rest of us—"

"And that's exactly the problem, Wally! She may be as innocent in this as you claim, but she is not blameless. Neither she nor you have any idea what this bond is doing to you all or what the consequences will be. But what really gets me is that none of you seem disturbed about this bond! You've just accepted it and her as if it… she has always been a part of your lives." she explained.

Wally just stood there a moment, taking in Shayera's entire tirade. He turned to the room's other occupant, who throughout all of this has been a silent observer. "Do you agree with her?" Wally asked, his head down and voice neutral.

GL looked at Shayera and back at Wally. "I don't agree with the method Hawkgirl used, but she has a valid point. For all we know, this girl has been sent to brainwash all of you, to leave the team in a weaken position and none of you seem concerned, which is just alarming."

Wally just looked at the both of them in shock. To think that they would just condone this kind of violence against someone that he and the others cared about... it was unbelievable. "But Dr. Fate said-" Wally tried to counter.

"While I respect Fate's abilities, leaving this up to just his judgment would be insane. I believe that separation and observation would be viable option. I could take her to Oa and have the Guardians-" GL said, only to have Wally interrupt him again.

"No. That's not going to happen, at least not any time soon." They looked at him as if he were crazy for saying that. "I can't believe that I'm hearing this _**now**_. Anyssa has been tied to us for a month and at the first sign of trouble, _**this**_ is the first reaction?! Sha could have killed her!"

"No, I wouldn't have—" Shayera started.

"I saw the rage in your eyes, Sha, and I still see it now! You weren't going to hold back on your swing and we all know it!" Wally countered. That outburst just seemed to take something out of him and Shayera had the good grace to look slightly discomfited by Wally's outburst. "Look, I understand you guys are worried about us. In your shoes, I probably would be too, but you were right about one thing. _**We don't know anything about this bond!**_ We don't know how deep it goes or what would happen we are suddenly 'separated' from Anyssa.

"So, before either of you decide to 'save' us from Anyssa, consider who else you may be sacrificing with her." Wally left before he could hear the rest of their arguments.

**~8~**

_**Three Minutes Ago: Back in Medical**_

"Bruce?" she called.

"Hmm?" he murmured as he continued to review the X-Rays he'd taken.

"I don't remember it," she said, her voiced coming out so soft she wasn't sure he'd heard her.

He moved to one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a small brace. He came back to her bedside, gently positioned her right arm, and began putting the brace on for her. "Hold still. What don't you remember?" he asked.

"Any of it!" she hissed out. Taking a small breath, she continued. "The last thing I remember is setting my alarm for our meeting. The next thing I know I'm waking up next to Clark."

Bruce finished applying the wrist brace before saying, "I assume that Superman has no idea of your memory loss."

She shakes her head in the negative, too ashamed to say the words. After all, she was the one that wanted the full disclosure rule between them and she was the one keeping secrets. Though one could say that with everything that has gone on with Diana and Shayera, she hadn't had time to discuss it with Clark. Not really an excuse; after all, what would they need for privacy, when they could just as easily discuss things through a different channel. But how do you tell someone who is a friend that they slept with a stranger that wore her face?

The door opened to admit J'onn and Clark, putting a stop to those thoughts as her nerves started to get the best of her. J'onn went over to Diana, to check her vitals. Clark went with him, getting his first real look at her condition. He was staring so intensely, she guessed that he was using his X-Ray vision. He said something to J'onn, what she could not discern, but the Martian nodded. Clark came over to her bed next. He took her uninjured hand. The smile he gave her did more to further her guilt than to comfort her.

"How are you doing? And I mean besides the obvious. Flash said that you were a little upset," Clark asked.

"Is that a nice way of say 'on the verge of a panic attack'?" she asked, disparagingly.

He gave her left hand a squeeze. "No, it's a nice way of saying that you were upset and understandably so, given the last twenty-four hours," he explained. The small smile Clark gave pulled at her. Exactly what it meant, she didn't know but she found herself returning that smile with a small one of her own.

"I'm okay. Well, other than the obvious," she chuckled as she looked at her right arm. "What about you?"

The look Clark gave her was one she couldn't really interpret and all she could feel from him was a bit of confusion and a lot of relief. Neither of which explained his expression. She was about to ask him if something else was wrong when he shook his head, flashed that country boy smile, and said, "I'm okay too."

"Good."

With reassurances given, they both fell into an awkward silence or at least it was awkward from her side. _'I should tell him now,' _she thought to herself, trying to build some courage to discuss it. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), Wally chose that moment to arrive.

The speedster came into the room with more of a jog than his normal super-speed pace. He pulled back his mask and ran his hand through his red hair. The move seemed more one of frustration than necessity. "Did I miss anything?" Wally asked.

"Now that you've arrived, we can get started," Bruce said. He looked to J'onn. "First, what's the status on Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl?"

"Wonder Woman's condition is critical, but stable. She is healing faster now, so I believe that will change within the next hour or so. Hawkgirl suffered some minor bruising and scratches, but she is fine," J'onn summarized.

Bruce nodded, thanking J'onn for the update. "Good. Now, onto a different matter, I have a theory about what led to this, but I need more information. Superman, Anyssa, I need to know exactly what happened between you."

She just glared at the Dark Knight, not believing that he had called her out like that when he knew that she didn't recall any of it.

He met her glare with no remorse for his action and she could see the raised eyebrow through the cowl, basically daring her to call him on it. She looked at Clark to find him looking at her, his expression questioning. _'Damn it, Bruce...'_ she thought as she took a deep breath to gather her courage.

"I don't really remember any of that afternoon with you, Clark."

There was silence all around her at that declaration. She could feel all the eyes in the room focused on her, but the only eyes she was concerned about were those of the man beside her. His gaze held confusion and no small amount of hurt as her words and silence hit home.

"_*Clark, I was going to tell you-*" _

"_*Not now.*" _he responded, abruptly cutting the connection. She flinched at the intensity of the link shutting down between them. She knew that this would happen and it's not like she didn't deserve it. Still, it hurt.

"Superman, what happened?" Bruce called, bringing the attention back to the conversation. Clark's focus snapped back to Bruce. He stared at him for a moment and then, began describing what happened between him and her.

He started from the minute she arrived at the _Daily Planet_ with an impromptu lunch invitation to awakening in her bed a couple of hours later with news of Wonder Woman's attack. Clark gratuitously left out exact details of what she and he had done together after they left the couch, but the actions he did describe were like a hammer dropping on her stomach. None of this sounded like her at all. Heck, Jane teased her on multiple occasions on how mundane her romantic life was when she did have a boyfriend. Her blatantly strutting around in lingerie was definitely not her style of flirtation and quite frankly embarrassing.

"Well, it sounds like you two had fun," Wally said, glibly.

"Not funny, Wally. At all," she said, looking at him sharply.

"Superman, you mentioned an attempt to connect with Anyssa before she came back into the room. What happened?" J'onn asked.

"I wasn't able to get through. Her door was locked and there was a sense of heat from it, like there was a fire on the other side," Clark answered.

Four pairs of eyes focused on her, looking for answers. Answers she didn't have. She just shook her head, saying nothing.

"J'onn, have you ever experienced any of what Superman described when you made contact with Anyssa?" Bruce asked the team's resident telepath. When the Martian responded in the negative, he continued. "Okay. We'll look into that later. Anyssa, what do you remember about what happened with Hawkgirl?"

"The only things I recall are Shayera calling me... that, a sharp pain shooting through my arm, and waking up in the infirmary," she explained for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Well, since Anyssa didn't have super-strength before chucking Hawkgirl through a steel wall. Right?" Wally looked to her for confirmation, which she gave. "Then, the Bond has to be the culprit, right? I mean, what else could it be?"

"Yeah, but why now? I mean, we have been connected for a month now and nothing like this has happened before," she stated.

"True; however, you haven't slept with any of us before now," Bruce said, bluntly. "That ability could be residual effects from the connection you made to Kent or something permanent."

_'Permanent?' _Her stomach just clenched at the thought. She looked at Clark, who still would not look at her. He has had his strength all of his life, though it has grown as he aged. His body is meant for it, but her? She looked down at her sprained wrist. _'Will I continue to hurt myself if this power doesn't go away? What about those around me?'_

"A small test, perhaps?" J'onn moved to stand beside the bed. She slowly sat up, careful of her wrist, and faced J'onn. He held his left hand upright, palm facing right, in a classic arm wrestling position. "Try to move my arm, gl'ad'ea."

She grasped his hand in as firm a grip as she could and pushed against his hand, but she was unable to budge his arm. She continued to try for a few more minutes, but nothing.

Wally smiled at her. "I'd say that's a vote for residual side-effect."

Bruce didn't seem convinced. "We'll try a few more tests later. For now, let's rest. It's been a hard few hours. We'll reconvene in two hours."

All of the others agreed. Clark made his exit without a look or word to any of the others. Bruce and Wally followed. J'onn walked over to Diana's bedside. She got up from the bed and walked over to Diana's bedside. Her eyes cataloged the visible wounds. A touch her right shoulder startled her out of her reverie. J'onn looked into her eyes and though she didn't feel his presence in her mind, he must have known what she was feeling because he just squeezed her shoulder again and said, "She will be fine, gl'ad'ea, and so will you."

She just nodded, her hand gripping the bed rail. J'onn left her to her thoughts. Once she was sure J'onn was gone, she leaned as close as she could to Diana's ear without disrupting the equipment and said the words she wanted to say since she arrived at the Watchtower. "I doubt you'll ever forgive me, but I'm so sorry, Diana."

She straightened and walked out of the room, leaving its single occupant in peace. It would be a while before anyone noticed the bent steel rail left behind with those words.

End of **Chapter 3**!

Wow, I can't believe I have left you guys hanging for two years! I'm so sorry! I hope I can do better next time.

Thank you all for your reviews. They are what kept me writing. :-) Please let me know if you like how the story is going and that I have kept everyone in character. After leaving a story for a while, I kinda of start to lose the feel for the characters and I don't want that to happen. So, please keep me on the straight and narrow. ;-)

Next time: Anyssa makes a deal and the consequences are something everyone is going to have to deal with.


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